On September 1, 2021 Texas enacted Senate Bill 8 severely restricting abortion access and the ability to provide abortion care in Texas.
Abortion is an essential aspect of evidence-based healthcare. Like all patients, individuals seeking an abortion should have the same right to autonomy, respect, privacy, and support when making medical decisions. Pregnant people obtain abortions for numerous reasons including barriers to contraceptive use, contraceptive failure, rape, intimate partner violence, fetal anomalies, or for other personal reasons.
In addition, abortion can be medically necessary. Pregnancy imposes significant physiological stress on a person’s body, and it can sometimes exacerbate medical conditions that can compromise health. There are situations in which an abortion is medically necessary for the health and well-being of the pregnant person.
No matter what the reason, this is a decision to be made between the patient and their physician. Studies have shown that where abortion is illegal or highly restricted, women resort to unsafe means or are forced to go outside of the medical system for care that should be available to them in their communities.
Our Stance:
Doctors for America supports evidence-based healthcare, including abortions. We believe that Texas Senate Bill 8 is a huge government overreach.
Health policy should be based on evidence-based medicine and scientific facts. Politics should be left out of the exam room and not affect patient-physician relationships. Pregnant people should be able to make their own health care decisions based on the advice of medical professionals rather than forced political ideology that snatches away the right to choose.
What we’re going to do about it:
Amplify our Partner Organizations:
There are so many organizations who are fighting this horrendous bill. This includes larger national organizations such as: ACOG, Planned Parenthood, Plan C Pills, ACLU, Center for Reproductive Rights, the National Abortion Federation and smaller Texas-based organizations such as: Texas Abortion Funds, Texas Equal Access Fund, Avow, Jane’s Due Process just to name a few.
We want to amplify the efforts and voices of these groups rather than duplicate their efforts. We will be in communication with these partner organizations for any calls to action they distribute and forward it to our membership.
Create a Reproductive Advocacy CORPS:
One of the most impactful ways to show the importance of abortion access is to have providers who do not perform abortions themselves serve as allies in the fight for reproductive justice by advocating for this health right. When a neurologist or an orthopedic surgeon can explain the importance of abortion access and how it impacts their patients that can show legislators that this issue goes beyond one medical specialty.
We will be working to create a designated Reproductive Advocacy core comprised of providers from various specialties who will be trained to discuss the details of this issue and bring awareness to why abortion access is essential healthcare.
Let us know if you are ready to serve as an ally in the fight for reproductive justice. Email us at [email protected]
About Doctors for America:
Doctors for America mobilizes doctors and medical students to be leaders in putting patients over politics to improve the health of our patients, communities, and nation. We are 20,000 physicians and medical students in all 50 states in representing all areas of specialization. Our impact areas focus on access to affordable care, community health and prevention, and health justice and equity. DFA focuses solely on what is best for our patients, not on the business side of medicine, and does not accept any funding from pharmaceutical or medical device companies; which uniquely positions DFA as the organization that puts patients over politics and patients over profits. Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on Twitter @drsforamerica.